Singapore Airlines flight SQ-406 had to make an emergency landing in Singapore, on September 29th.
The Airbus A380-800 plane took off for New Delhi, India, but had to turn back after the passenger oxygen masks deployed.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained safe.
The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.
Western Air flight WT-702 made an emergency landing in Nassau, Bahamas, on February 7th.
The plane was flying from Grand Bahamas International Airport when the crew needed to shut down one of the engines.
The plane continued for a safe landing. All 20 passengers and 3 crew members aboard remained unharmed.
CommutAir flight C5-4919 made an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia, on September 24th.
The plane was flying from Albany, New York, when the crew reported a nose gear problem and declared an emergency.
The plane safely landed without nose gear.
Two passengers were transported to hospital with arm injuries.
American Airlines flight AA-142 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland, on September 9th.
The Boeing 777-200 plane heading from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, to Heathrow Airport, England, was diverted after the crew suspected a fuel leak.
The plane landed safely. All two hundred and three people aboard remained unharmed.
The Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Singapore Dhaka with 105 passengers and 12 crew aboard diverted to Bangkok when they got an internal flight warning. There were no injuries.
In spite of the cargo fire suppression system, there was a burning smell and a fire.
The plane made a safe landing in Bangkok. The plane taxied to the gate, and passengers disembarked and were provided hotel accommodations, meals and transferred to another airline.
An investigation is underway.
Singapore Airlines’ spokesman, Nicholas Ionides said that “Flight SQ446 operating between Singapore and Dhaka diverted to Bangkok as a result of indications of smoke from the aircraft’s rear cargo hold.”
When Thai authorities clear the Airbus, it will be flown back to Singapore.
But still, it is one of my least favorite things to read (especially while I’m halfway to Singapore) that there has been yet another cargo fire at all, regardless of what kind of plane it is on.
At least I had time to jot down some thoughts.
I hope that the media shines as bright a light on this airbus cargo fire as it has recently on the Dreamliner battery situation. Sure, the Dreamliner is developing new technology and Boeing is responsible for going the distance to keep new developments safe. The Dreamliner battery issue is new. But the fact that Boeing is developing new technologies and new solutions does not provide Airbus and an established plane like a A330-300 a free ticket when it comes to combustion.
Hopefully Airbus is paying attention to all problems and not getting too cocky. It should remember and respect that a plane is still an air-filled bubble hundreds of feet in the air. Until people develop their own wings, random combustion situations like cargo fires on an Airbus A330 are just as potentially hazardous situation–if not more so–than any battery incident that actually occurred on the ground.
Let us please see a fix for this problem.
Fuji Dream Airlines flight JH-150 had to return and make an emergency landing in Fukuoka, Japan, on October 23rd.
The Embraer ERJ-175 plane took off for Shizuoka, Japan, but had to return shortly afterwards due to an electrical failure.
The plane landed back safely. All thirty-nine people aboard remained unharmed.
Flybe flight BE-1274 made an emergency landing in Birmingham, England, on August 29th.
The plane flying from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Manchester, England, was diverted after the crew became aware that one of the tires had burst during departure. An airline spokesperson said the plane was diverted as a “precautionary measure to take into consideration more favorable wind conditions”
The plane landed safely. All 76 people aboard remained unhurt.
